The dispensing of fuel at a service station, of a more recent vintage, substantially includes the dispensing and sale of gasoline through the self-service method of refueling one's vehicle. This has now been occurring for the last 30 years. Previously, when gasoline was dispensed, it was done by the service station attendant, who would locate the nozzle within the vehicle tank, dispense the gas, wipe the windows, and then replace the nozzle back into the dispenser, once refueling has been accomplished. Rarely was there ever a problem of causing damage to the dispensing equipment, because the attendant made sure everything was in order, and that the nozzle was reinstalled at the dispenser, with little or no chance of an inadvertent drive off, by the vehicle operator. But, since self-service has come into existence, it is a more frequent occurrence that once a driver has applied self-service to fill up his fuel tank, and either make payment at the pump, or to go inside the facility to pay by cash or credit card, it does more frequently occur that the location of the fuel dispensing nozzle, in the vehicle fill pipe, is forgotten, and the driver will sometimes drive off, pulling the nozzle and the fuel hose with him/her, resulting in substantial damage to the dispensing system and fuel spillage.
As a result of the foregoing, it has become a necessity to include a breakaway coupling within the fuel dispensing hose; usually they can be found high up on the hose near the dispenser, and readied for application when necessary. Thus, should a driver forget, and drive off with the nozzle still in the vehicle, while the hose may be stretched, once it reaches a specified force, such as approximately 100 pounds, the breakaway coupling will separate, its internal check valves will be released, into closure, and thereby preventing any further flow of fuel, and even stop any backflow of fuel from the nozzle through the separated hose, for spilling on the ground. By this time, the driver will be alerted to the fact that something is wrong, that the dispensing nozzle may have been left within the fill pipe, and therefore, immediately stops, in an attempt to remedy the problem. At this stage, the station attendant can look over the equipment, and if it does not appear that any damage has been sustained, he can simply reinstall the breakaway coupler, and place the dispensing system back into immediate service, as required.
The assignee of the current invention and patent application has received many United States patents upon various types of breakaway hose coupling devices.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,977 shows one such Breakaway Hose Coupling, which is generally held in position and coupled by means of detents that secure the coupling in its usable position. But, when an excessive force is encountered upon the fuel line hose, the detents separate from the coupling, and allow the pair of fittings to separate, to prevent further damage to the nozzle, or to the hose and dispenser with which it connects.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,973 shows another Break-Away Concentric Hose Coupling. It likewise is held into position through the use of fittings, and which coupling can be reconnected, after it has been inadvertently separated. The coupling also includes one or more check valves, which prevent the further flow of fuel, when decoupling occurs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,934 shows another Break-Away Concentric Hose Coupling. This coupling is held together through the use of a series of springs, that maintain the coupling in its usable condition, but which separates when excessive force has been encountered.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,695 shows a further Breakaway Coupling and Coupler Therefor. This one is held in its usable position through the use of a series of detent ball.
There is another U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,023, that shows a Disposable Breakaway Nozzle Connector, and in this instance, is a separable connector, that incorporates a pair of the check valves to prevent fluid discharge when an untimely decoupling of the connector occurs. These are all for application within a fuel line hose, connected to a fuel dispenser.
The applicant has other applications pending, as can be noted in the cross reference for this particular application.
Various other breakaway hose couplings can be seen in the United States patent to Carmack, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,131, upon a Breakaway Hose Coupling with Manual Rotational Separation, which attains its separation through a manual rotation of its two male and female tubular valve bodies.
Other breakaway couplings can be seen in the patent to Carmack, U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,683, which is a Breakaway Coupling for a Coaxial Fuel Supply Hose.
Of more recent vintage, is the use of magnets for holding the breakaway coupling together, and which coupling when subjected to a significant force, such as that 200 pounds of pressure as promulgated by various State Regulations, such as the California Air Resources Board, subjects that type of force to a breakaway coupling, the magnets separate the coupling and allow the standard internal check valves to close. This can be seen in the Carmack U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,112, which provides a Breakaway Hose Coupling with a Magnetic Connection. In this particular breakaway, the magnets used are arcuate permanent magnets, made of ferrous metal, and as can be seen in his FIG. 2, these magnets are held in position by means of locating within an annular groove, within its annular support member, to function as the means for engaging a strike member, to hold the connection, during routine usage. This device also defines the use of cover members, one that surrounds the other, in a telescopic relationship.
Another breakaway hose coupling utilizing magnets is also shown in the United States patent to Imler, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,487,796, upon a Breakaway Hose Coupling with a Magnetic Connection. This particular unit also uses a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate permanent magnets, which are recessed within an annular groove of its supporting member, to hold the coupling in place.
The use of telescoping sleeves in releasable fluid couplings can be seen in the early U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,220, in addition to U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,099. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,941 shows the use of sleeves within fluid couplings. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,733, in addition to U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,151, shows the use of sleeves within breakaway couplings.
With regard to the use of magnets for forming couplings, back as early as the 1960s, U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,895, shows annular magnets used in a quick connect magnetic coupling for a high pressure line. It can be seen that these are annular magnets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,048, shows a magnetic coupling, of a quick-disconnect type. This patent describes the use of permanent magnets that encircle the body member of the coupling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,110, discloses a vapor recovery nozzle that utilizes a permanent magnet to control its operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,712, shows a magnetically latchable liquid dispensing nozzle. The shown magnet is radially disposed about the nozzle spout.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,295, shows a magnetic coupling for metal tubes, wherein permanent magnets are used to provide for connection of the tubes that carry fluids, especially gases, during usage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,474, shows the use of magnetic units for holding various components of a breakaway unit that provides a signal when a vehicle has inadvertently driven away with the nozzle in its fuel tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,230, shows the use of circular magnets to form a quick release adaptor for connecting an exhaust removal hose to a vehicle tailpipe using these magnets. These are round magnets, as shown.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,439, described as a frangible connector, shows the use of permanent magnets within a breakaway connection for a fuel line. These permanent magnets are provided in a circular array around the flow line. See its FIG. 59.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,511, shows the use of magnets for holding vapors within a vehicle fuel tank.
The patent to Krynicki, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,354, discloses the use of magnets for holding a separable connector within a fluid passage line.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,079, discloses magnetic coupling for spray heads.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,088, discloses a quick disconnect coupling, utilizing magnets.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,912,263 shows an internal sleeve type pipe coupling with magnetically secured external sleeve means.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,057, discloses a magnetic hose coupling.
The patent to Busch, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,793,987, shows the use of circular magnets for providing a magnetic coupling assembly for coupling portions of a gas delivery system together. It shows a multiple array of round magnets located around the periphery of the gas flow delivery system.
These are examples of a full array of prior art materials that disclose the use of permanent magnets, even round magnets, for use for holding flow lines together, and even fuel flow lines, and which magnets have even been used in breakaway coupling mechanisms, to hold its components together, during their application and usage. Hence, the prior art is replete with the use of permanent magnets for providing couplings within pipes and passageway structures, as can be noted.
In fact, as previously alluded to, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) dictates that a breakaway connector must be able to resist pressures up to 100 pounds, but will separate at that magnitude of force, when a force of greater than 100 pounds of pressure is exerted upon the fuel flow line for the gasoline dispenser system.